Frederick Carl Frieseke: Business Back at Home

"The Gold Locket" by Frederick Carl Frieseke

"In the late spring of 1902 Frederick Carl Frieseke returned to the United States. He had been away five years. He had family matters to keep up with and it was also time for him to tend to the American side of his career. It had become the practice in some parts of the American art establishment to defer to the jury systems of the Paris Salons. An American artist who had been accepted by the Société des Artistes Français or the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts was more than likely to be invited to the annual exhibition of the Art Institute of Chicago the following October, and thence to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It was prudent for the young artist to build upon his European success. If he was to make a living at this business, his paintings must be not only seen but also sold.

 'I'm going to bring all my pictures home,' Frieseke wrote, 'and with the stuff I shall paint there during the summer, try to arrange for some exhibitions in different cities... I"ll stay in America until next fall in time for the Internationale show here.' So, leaving his four submissions hanging at the Salon, he sailed for home. During the next seven months he managed to spend time in Owosso, transact business in New York and Chicago, continue the regular supply of drawings for Wanamaker, and see Sadie in New York. A series of meeting with William R. French [sculptor Daniel Chester French's brother], director of the Art Institute of Chicago resulted in a special exhibition of eight of his paintings, which were hung together in Chicago's annual exhibition.

Only occasionally during his career is there any sign that Frieseke thought seriously of living and working in the United States. Nevertheless, he was encouraged by his reception in Chicago.

'The painters here all seem to like my things. I have been awfully well treated by them here and several have asked me to locate here, but I wouldn't live here for the world as - to show the art interest of the town - I may say that only two of the morning papers had any mention of the exhibition. I was well treated in both, but it makes one tired to see so little interest displayed. I but I am wild to get back to work.'"

So back to Paris he went! 

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Frederick Carl Frieseke: A Biography by Nicholas Kilmer" in Frederick Carl Frieseke: The Evolution of an American Impressionist"published on the occasion of an exhibition of Frieseke's work.)